COUNTRY: Nepal - Pokhara
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Community Healthcare, Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Katrina Beck Harris
Namaste!
From where we left off last week, the group ventured to the top of Sarangkot. The vantage point gave us amazing 360 views of the Annapurna range and of Pokhara itself. The next morning most of the group went paragliding from Sarangkot which everyone really enjoyed as it's such a unique experience. Back in Tashi Ling, the group has well and truly been settling in with their families and forming a routine. The community has been wonderful. Every time someone drops by the house or chatting to someone new I always feel like I come away knowing a little bit more. Living in a place so far from your comfort zone is hard but extremely worthwhile.
On the Sunday was His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 79th birthday. The group got to wear traditional Tibetan dress, attend a ceremony and lunch with the community. It was a very privileged experience to be apart of that kind of cultural practice and sense of community. That afternoon the girls played soccer against the local girls, which drew quite a crowd, and they won 4-1! This week we also listened to Sonam talk about the history of Tibet which was very moving. The importance of community, culture and having a sense of hope all came through in Sonam's story.
Moving onto placements, the teaching has been steadily the same. Some of the group has been supervising exams and some are teaching classes. Since we are only here for a month one of the most important things that we can give is working on pronunciation and vocabulary in English. The nursing students at Fishtail hospital, after a slow start and adjusting to the differences from Australia, are spending time observing operations, doctors appointments and organising presentations for the student nurses which should be really beneficial.
The radiography students at Manipal Hospital have worked in the CT scan, general X-ray and the ICU departments. The group have said that it's challenging to face and work in different standards of health and practices in comparison to Australia. The hospital is also always busy and they get to see a range of interesting injuries and cases that are different to back home, a reflection on different ways of life. Tomorrow is white water rafting and some time in Lakeside swimming to hopefully cool down in the ever present heat!
Until next time,
Katrina.
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